What trainers should I buy?

fatboyonadiet

If you're going to go running, don't get any Nike's, seriously, I lost 2 toenails when I started training in them. I went to an Up and Running and got some trainers that cost me £80 but have lasted a few years and are ace for running in, I'm not the coolest cat in them but at least my feet are fine!

smurph106

Some of these posts appear a bit miss led. Short answer is good trainers often cost £30-£35. Very good trainers cost £25 - £65.

The long answer is "it depends". If your size is smaller or larger than average then you are best looking on a discount sports website, as odd sizes often get reduced more severely.

It depends on how often you train, and how often you buy new trainers. If you buy £80 Acics Gels, you will look the beez neez, and they will have little pockets of "Gel" all the way down to the toe, shiny and on diplay often down the side of the trainer. However, if you plan to run train for 45 mins 3 times a week, that's akin to about 24km to 30km a week and the trainers will last half a year. Therefore you'd be better off getting two pairs of £35 trainers to last you the year rather than 1 pair of £80 to last you the whole year.

Creases in the sole, and a lack of bounce in the inner-sole are signs of a shoe being "dead".

Gel down the front end of the shoe is next to pointless, and is for a runners snobbery rather than for fear of injury. (Admitedly I wear them, but I know Im wearing them for show rather than performance).

The N lock system on New Balance is to make up for poor design in their logo. The addidas three stripes logo and acics logo have tended to add stitching down the side trainers through their logo's shape, therefore the n-lock system is not worth paying for as the same "system/ stitches / bits of string" (basically stopping the shoe stretching away from the sole) is cheaper on other brands (unless its in a sale).

Nike do produce good running shoes, but they are hidden amongst fashionable rubbish. Look for a logo stitched heavily connecting the tongue to the bridge of the foot, and avoid any air system, you're better off with rubber.

Saucony trainers tend to have very good cross soles, and are often mid priced. If in doubt go look at these.

Regarding running on the inside or outside of your foot, their still remains a weird over analytical myth that this will lead to disabilitating ankle and knee problems if you buy the wrong trainer...my advice to you is not to bat an eye lid about it. Keeping the shock absorbance in your trainers is much more likley to save your joints...and I point to footballers and rugby players run a lot, but they pay next to no attention to running on the inside or outside of their feet because that aspect of ergonomics isnt commercial in those sports. (the blades or studs argument will make much more money for the same companies). So please ask yourself when confronted with a shop steward who may have a degree in sports science, is he/she talking common sense? Is the shoe soft and comfortable, is it affordable for me to change it every 6 months? Does it offer support (just stitching (now I'm making it sound complicated, I hate that) from the front of the shoe to the heel?

jenniewb

smurph106 wrote: »

Some of these posts appear a bit miss led. Short answer is good trainers often cost £30-£35. Very good trainers cost £25 - £65.

The long answer is "it depends". If your size is smaller or larger than average then you are best looking on a discount sports website, as odd sizes often get reduced more severely.

It depends on how often you train, and how often you buy new trainers. If you buy £80 Acics Gels, you will look the beez neez, and they will have little pockets of "Gel" all the way down to the toe, shiny and on diplay often down the side of the trainer. However, if you plan to run train for 45 mins 3 times a week, that's akin to about 24km to 30km a week and the trainers will last half a year. Therefore you'd be better off getting two pairs of £35 trainers to last you the year rather than 1 pair of £80 to last you the whole year.

Creases in the sole, and a lack of bounce in the inner-sole are signs of a shoe being "dead".

Gel down the front end of the shoe is next to pointless, and is for a runners snobbery rather than for fear of injury. (Admitedly I wear them, but I know Im wearing them for show rather than performance).

The N lock system on New Balance is to make up for poor design in their logo. The addidas three stripes logo and acics logo have tended to add stitching down the side trainers through their logo's shape, therefore the n-lock system is not worth paying for as the same "system/ stitches / bits of string" (basically stopping the shoe stretching away from the sole) is cheaper on other brands (unless its in a sale).

Nike do produce good running shoes, but they are hidden amongst fashionable rubbish. Look for a logo stitched heavily connecting the tongue to the bridge of the foot, and avoid any air system, you're better off with rubber.

Saucony trainers tend to have very good cross soles, and are often mid priced. If in doubt go look at these.

Regarding running on the inside or outside of your foot, their still remains a weird over analytical myth that this will lead to disabilitating ankle and knee problems if you buy the wrong trainer...my advice to you is not to bat an eye lid about it. Keeping the shock absorbance in your trainers is much more likley to save your joints...and I point to footballers and rugby players run a lot, but they pay next to no attention to running on the inside or outside of their feet because that aspect of ergonomics isnt commercial in those sports. (the blades or studs argument will make much more money for the same companies). So please ask yourself when confronted with a shop steward who may have a degree in sports science, is he/she talking common sense? Is the shoe soft and comfortable, is it affordable for me to change it every 6 months? Does it offer support (just stitching (now I'm making it sound complicated, I hate that) from the front of the shoe to the heel?

Thanks for the advice.

I do however disagree with your last statement.

What you forget is that (in your pointing out of an over/under pronation) this really only matters if your main type of sport or fitness is running or jogging. If your doing things like playing football as your example, or aerobics or dance your not likely to need supported trainers, infact it could even hinder your movement and cause injury. If you are though tested for an over pronation, its up to you if you prefer to witness whats going on on-screen and are OK with believeing it wont cause wear and tear injuries. You forget that although as people we were born to move on 2 legs, running alot is not something we were born to do and running on hard flat surfaces was another thing we were not born to do- at least not for long periods of time over and over again. Hence the injury risk and hence the trainers.

I really think that supported trainers can make a difference and its worth the getting tested and getting proper footwear unless your doing lots of cross-action type movement as mentioned.

Fire_Fox

Cross trainers and running shoes are two completely different things, for aerobics the shoe needs to allow for sideways movement and with running the shoe needs to support forward motion. For women it is especially important to get fitted for running shoes as most overpronate and the correct footwear will help protect against knee and back problems. Good brands for running include Asics, Saucony, Mizuno, to a lesser extent New Balance and Brooks, and finally some shoes from the Nike and Adidas ranges but I would say Nike are VERY overpriced so I would question why these are being recommended to you. Which you buy should depend entirely on your foot structure and gait: I use mainly Mizuno as I have very narrow feet.

I can assure you that the link between overpronation and injury is NOT a myth, and I have degree level qualifications in fitness! However the largest contributor to injury is too much too soon, beginners especially need a ten minute warm up (brisk walking) before any running takes place. Do only short sessions for a good few months, with at least a day of rest in between workouts: muscles (including the heart) adapt much more quickly that tendons and ligaments.

Sportsshoes.com is an excellent place to shop - both online for discounted prices on footwear and in person where they can offer free gait analysis as well. You should expect to spend £30 to £50, the £50+ price bracket is really only worthwhile if you are looking to do a lot of running (e.g. marathons or racing). If you train regularly it is well worth buying two pairs of trainers and rotating them.

Fruity1

I've currently got Asics Gels and they are far more supportive compared to my previous New Balance. I was fully assessed and measured for them which I'd say is the most important thing to do.

However for anyone who isn't worried about being measured I've posted a 20% off code for New Balance website on the Vouchers and codes forum.